A Change of Heart
by InjuredMoonDance
Summary: When a new girl arrived to his class Kirishima found himself tempted by stupidity to do something he knew was a terrible decision. Unable to take the weight of the guilt he decides to be honest with the new girl and ask for her help, she agrees to do so deeming it as something fun. As time progress Kirishima discovers that there's more reasons why he is so drawn to her.
1. Chapter 1

Boku no Hero Academia belongs to Horikoshi Kohei

Author's note at the end

* * *

The soft movement of Tsuyu's fingers on the wooden desk was the only thing keeping Kirishima awake during the first hour of the day. Regretting staying up late playing video games, Kirishima dropped his forehead to the desk, letting it fall against the table. From his position, he was able to see Ochako and Izuku's joined hands underneath the table while he explained something to her. The early Monday morning didn't seem to promise anything spectacular; even a bit of rain would have made the day more entertaining for Kirishima, since he'd be able to jump puddles on his way back home.

"Boring morning, huh?" Kaminari asked from beside him. Kirishima turned his head to give the blond a bored look.

"Tell me about it," he mumbled, returning his eyes to the wood. He stared at the pristine desk, wondering if anyone had ever been brave enough to scribble on it. He had a marker in his schoolbag, and he tossed the idea back and forth in his mind before he relented at the thought of the consequences.

His eyes slowly closed, ready to give in to the clutches of sleep for a temporary nap, but the clatter of the metallic legs of the chairs dragging suddenly jolted him awake, indicating that the teacher had walked into the classroom. Kirishima focused his eyes on the board where the teacher always began writing as soon as he arrived to class, but this time it wasn't the strange hieroglyphics the teacher called calculous that caught his attention.

Next to the teacher stood a girl with cotton candy pink hair and bright golden eyes. She bounced back and forth, balancing on the balls of her feet. Her hair was cut short but still looked fluffy and full of life, and atop it was a pair of yellow horns that stood out from the curls. Kirishima was just able to see a purple headband attached to them. She had the school girl's uniform; a gray skirt and white button up shirt with a red tie. Her eyes curiously scanned the room with a soft smile on her face.

"Good morning class." The teacher's voice was as lackluster as usual, despite the amazed looks from the students. "As you can see we have a new student."

"My name is Mina Ashido!" she greeted, somehow seeming more excited to be in the class than the students were from getting a new classmate. "I just moved to this town, I hope we can all be friends! Don't let the horns deceive you; I assure you I mean no harm," she joked. She looked so bright and cheerful, and her voice was just as bubbly. Kirishima smiled, feeling the exasperation of the teacher who looked uninterested with the new girl.

"Mina, take a seat next to Kirishima," the teacher said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Mina simply nodded and put her stuff in the seat next to the boy, the only seat available in the class. Bakugou was unlucky to be sick that day, and Kirishima knew his friend would despise the idea of having to drag a new desk to the classroom.

"Oh, you're like me!" Mina smiled at him, pointing at the two strands of hair on Kirishima's head standing out from the spikes. "You're my horn buddy. But you have real horns - which is a real disadvantage if you ask me. But I won't be defeated!" she whispered with a friendly smile on her face full of determination, as if she was facing the most important challenge of her life. She lifted her fist so he could pound it. A light shade of pink warmed his cheeks before his fist bumped with hers.

It didn't take a genius to figure out Mina was quite an eccentric person, and that went far beyond her appearance. The teacher had to shut her up more than once because when she wasn't trying to coerce Kirishima into talking with her, she seemed to want to do the same with Tsuyu, even when the green haired girl insisted on the importance of paying attention. After that, Mina compromised enough to just play around with her long hair.

The second the lunch bell rang, Kirishima could have sworn he saw a stampede of seventeen year-olds pass by his desk, all of them rushing to meet the new girl. Tokyo was a big city where most people followed a constant daily routine; a new student transferring in the middle of the school year broke that routine, causing the students' curiosity to grow. A couple of the teens crashed against the redhead's desk on their way towards Mina, who tried her best to greet everyone who approached.

"As the class president, I wanted to give you a warm welcome to our class and let you know that any of us are available if the need arises!" Iida was the first one to speak.

"Yep! You can count on us anytime!" Ochako came afterwards, offering a bright grin. "I'm Ochako, the guy with the glasses is Iida, and that boy with wild green hair is Izuku-"

"Her boyfriend," Tooru interrupted, fake coughing and making the brunette hold her blushing cheeks.

"It's not like that!" Ochako pouted.

"Where are you from, Mina?" Momo asked, smiling kindly at the girl who was watching Ochako's reaction with amusement.

"I'm from Osaka! I got here a week ago, but with all the moving and paperwork I was only just able to come here."

"What's it like there?" Jirou spoke up this time. Mina began to explain her life in detail, from what she did daily to what her school and former classmates were like.

"And do you have a boyfriend?" Sero asked, leaning against her desk. The question piqued Kirishima's interest.

"Why, are you interested by any chance?" Mina boldly leaned forward, smirking. As Sero's face turned red, she began to laugh loudly. "Nope! I'm actually single," she said with a grin.

Kirishima was unable to help chuckling at his friend's reaction as he pulled out a bento box to begin eating lunch. His stomach was growling, and he'd probably waste the entire break if he continued hanging on to every single one of Mina's words.

When the time to leave school came, he packed his stuff as fast as he could, ready to go to soccer practice. There was a game coming, and if they won they would have an easy ticket to the finals. His classmates, aside from Mina, seemed to be as ready to leave the school as he was, but the new girl was putting all her materials into her schoolbag with care.

"Did you sign up for any clubs?" Kirishima asked, putting his bag on his back and adjusting it

"Not yet," Mina answered cheerily. "I'm thinking about signing up for cooking. I don't really want to miss the "high school experience". What club are you part of?"

"I'm part of the soccer club," Kirishima admitted proudly. Mina's smile seemed to grow wider.

"Really? Can I watch you play sometime?" Her voice was full of enthusiasm. Kirishima could hardly remember anyone who was not a part of the team as excited as she seemed to be; they hadn't even won the game yet. He could remember his classmates cheering him on and wishing him luck before any tournaments, but this felt different.

"We have a game next week if you'd like to come." Kirishima waited as she adjusted her bag, and the two of them began to walk side by side

"Ohhhh, I'd love to! I'll make sure to bring the biggest banner with your face," She said, extending her hands wide enough to almost hit him. He chuckled.

"That won't be necessary. There's also more teammates who deserve credit," Kirishima reasoned.

"That's true, but so far I only know about you - so I want everyone to see you and your cute face!" she stated with a bright smile. Kirishima put one hand over his mouth to hide the blush he felt creeping up his neck towards his cheeks.

They walked together to the school entrance, and he was thankful she didn't say anything about the fact that the soccer field was on the other side of the building. Kirishima knew a shortcut he could take, anyway; the time he spent listening to her talk about mundane things made it worth the two extra laps he would have to run around the field for arriving late.

xxx

Barely a week had passed since Mina came to the school, and yet it seemed that the rumor of a new girl with cotton candy hair had spread like wildfire. In that short of time, she was one of the most popular girls at school. It seemed like there was always someone wanting to talk to her, and Kirishima could see why. She was so full of energy that it seemed like she could run a thousand times across the soccer field and not tire out for a second.

Yet, she never seemed to be around for the sports class.

They had sports twice per week. Being on the soccer team helped it be the only subject Kirishima never had any trouble with, and since he was part of the school's team, he had the option to skip it. However, he decided to join just to have fun with his classmates.

Mina, on the other hand, was never to be seen the second the class began. When they asked the teacher about it, he just dismissed them with a simple flick of his hand, ordering them to focus on the class activities. She'd always be waiting for them in the classroom when they finished, her regular uniform still on as she stared out the window to a perfect view of the field.

"I just wasn't in the mood to go and get all sweaty! Do you have any idea how long it takes to do my hair?" she answered with a grin, passing a hand through the pink mane. Kirishima wondered if skipping the class under such an excuse was actually allowed at the school.

After the exit bell rang, he approached his friends. They had agreed to go out that Friday afternoon. A new pizza place had opened near their high school, and they had planned to go as a boys-only day out. The specificity of the rule was mostly directed at Kaminari, since he had brought Jirou along more often recently because "she made it more enjoyable."; he was only partially telling the truth, of course. The more likely reason, Kirishima knew, was that Kaminari enjoyed rubbing his girlfriend in all their single faces.

Promising Bakugou they would wait for him until he was done with cleaning duty, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta walked out of the classroom. They stood beside the open door, unwilling to go out and have the burning sun directly in their faces.

"We were talking about Mina," Sero began, calling Kirishima's attention. That wasn't entirely surprising; everyone was talking about Mina recently. It wasn't a new topic.

"She's super nice, and so energetic and manly!" Kirishima grinned, nodding. He felt the need to compliment his new friend. He never told them he already had her cellphone number. Mina had given it to him while saying that Horn Buddies had to stick together no matter what.

"We've heard a little more about her," Mineta smirked. Kirishima tilted his head slightly, a curious expression crossing his face. Any time that look formed on Mineta's face, the screams of rightfully furious female classmates accompanied it.

"How so?" the redhead questioned, noticing how his friends smiled suspiciously.

"Well, I have a cousin who has a friend who said he met Mina, and it seems like she had quite the reputation in her former school," Sero explained as he folded his hands behind his head, stretching his arms.

"You guys shouldn't be spreading these kinds of rumors." Kirishima shook his head, looking into the classroom where Mina was sitting with Momo in front of her, the pink haired girl fixated on the book in her hands.

"Apparently she was expelled after they found her making out with a guy in the bathroom," Kaminari continued. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sero had told the others before they shared with Kirishima their discovery. Kirishima failed to see how Mina kissing other boys should have any significance in the way they treated her. It was her life, after all.

"It's wrong to talk about people behind their backs," Kirishima stated in a serious tone.

"So, with this information on hand, we decided to make a bet. The first one to get with her wins!" Mineta said this time, voice sounding far more proud than it should have.

"That's not right-"

"It's 100,000 yen."

Kirishima froze for a second. That was a large amount of money, and there was so much he could do with it; starting with his mother's birthday. Still, he knew his mother would ground him for an indefinite amount of time if she found out how he acquired the funds.

"So, what do you think?"

Kirishima stared at them. What they wanted to do was something he knew was completely wrong. Playing with someone else's feelings would always be wrong. Despite this, Sero, Kaminari and Mineta looked back at him, waiting for an answer.

Kirishima's eyes focused on Mina as she talked animatedly with the girls. Turning her head towards the door, she lifted her hand to wave a quick hello at him. The weight of his decision already loomed heavily over his shoulders.

"I'm in."

His friends smiled between each other. Not even a second after he agreed, the guilt settled in.

* * *

Hello wondeful people reading my work!  
If you have read anything I previously work you might realize I don't usually do author notes. But this is an especial ocasion since this chapter was edited by a wonderful person who was really kind to do so.  
This person goes by the name "skeletordraws" on tumblr so I wanted to thank them for their generous help and let you all know you should follow them, their art is great.  
Thank you for sticking with me until now and I hope you have enjoyed this and have a very nice day


	2. Chapter 2

Hello people!

I hope you are all having a nice day, here you have the second chapter of this story. This was edited by a wonderful person who goes by skeletordraws on tumblr so go ahead and follow them if you have a tumblr.

Boku no Hero Academia belongs to Horikoshi Kohei.

* * *

Kirishima had never been good at flirting, much less so with the feeling of guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders. His tumultuous thoughts weren't helping as anxiety formed a shadow over his normally cheery face throughout the day's classes. Even Bakugou had taken notice of his odd behavior, questioning him about it in the best way he knew - which mostly consisted of insulting him or anyone else within the vicinity. Sero, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the advantage Kirishima's guilt and awkwardness provided and constantly tried to flirt with Mina. So far, it had only earned him evasive answers each time he tried to ask her out.

Admittedly, that relieved Kirishima more than he would have thought.

When lunch break arrived, he stood with the intention of eating his lunch somewhere else. Staying any longer would probably end up with him spilling everything. If he outed the bet, his friends would believe him nothing but a traitor, and the girls in class would label him a loathsome creature for participating. So instead, he opted to find a quiet spot to eat where he wouldn't have to worry.

As he rested against a wall, sitting on the floor with his lunch, he noticed someone take a seat next to him from the corner of his eye.

"Big game tomorrow, huh?"

The sound of Mina's voice caused Kirishima to jolt slightly, realizing her sudden proximity as she leaned closer to him.

"Y-yeah," he mumbled, staring at his lunch instead of meeting her eyes. He eventually focused on keeping his gaze on her shoes, so to not seem like he was completely ignoring her.

"Is everything alright, Kiri? I thought we were friends... but now you seem to be avoiding me. You don't seem to hate me either, though. What's going on?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. The redhead swallowed nervously, even more guilt clawing at his throat for making her think he didn't like her.

Raising his head, her golden eyes clashed with his, searching for an answer. His heart sank even lower into his gut, unable to believe he had agreed to do something so terrible to one of the nicest people on the planet.

It wasn't worth it; there was no amount of money worth sacrificing someone's trust over. Especially hers.

She continued watching him, her eyes filled with warmth as she looked at him. She waited patiently, but was probably questioning his prolonged silence.

Taking a deep breath, Kirishima picked up his lunch and stood, grasping her hand to help her up. He began to guide her through the school's hallways, looking for some place where they could talk freely without the risk of someone interrupting them. Somewhere no potential witnesses could be, either.

He was sure he deserved the humiliation of a slap if Mina chose to hit him; yet somehow, he didn't think she was the type to do something like that.

Thinking of a secluded place, he remembered there was an old staircase that led to the rooftop a few hallways over. Kirishima was well aware that it was closed off most of the time, and even if it wasn't, people hardly loitered around there. It was deemed as a waste of time to try and get to the roof; the only ones who ever tried to were first years who used to do so in middle school. He'd heard of legends about the stairwell and why it was locked, but he couldn't recall any of them. He couldn't even remember what Mirio had told him about it in front of a very nervous Tamaki.

"Where are we going, Kirishima?" Mina asked. She made no attempt to stop him or even plant her feet in resistance, seemingly okay with letting him whisk her away.

"I need to talk to you," he said simply.

"Ohh, is it a love confession?" Mina teased, snickering. A tinge of pink appeared on Kirishima's face.

"It's not that," he mumbled with embarrassment, listening to her giggles. Her laugh was somewhat soothing to his frayed nerves.

Finally, they reached the stairs. Upon arriving, Kirishima noticed a small sign tethered across the stairway that read "any student that uses these stairs will face the consequences" in bold wording. Kirishima deftly lifted the cord for the girl, ignoring the warning. Mina smiled in amusement, raising an eyebrow at him as she crouched below the rope. He sighed before following her, resigned to his fate.

He guided her until they were on the next landing, hidden from any prying eyes. No one would bother them there, or at least no one from their grade.

"I'm sorry!"

He abruptly knelt on the stair below and put his hands together in a pleading motion. She looked startled for a second, eyebrows knitting together as she tried to understand his sudden apology.

"I did something terrible. I know I don't deserve it, but I want to beg for your forgiveness."

She crouched down until she was eye level with him. Despite him kneeling on the step below her, her face was directly in front of his.

"What could you have done to need forgiveness?" she asked lightheartedly, smile on her lips. "I barely know you but you seem like a good guy."

Those words felt like a stab through Kirishima's heart; he _was_ a good guy. _Was_. A good guy didn't go around taking money for toying with someone else's feelings.

"... Some of my classmates heard rumors about your reputation from your other school and decided to make a bet," he explained, keeping his gaze averted. "...Whoever manages to go out with you first, wins."

He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the sting of a slap at any moment. When it didn't immediately come, he continued. "I'm ashamed to say I agreed to participate, and I understand if you never want to talk to me again. I'll even try to convince someone to change seats with you so you can be far from me. You can even slap me!" The words kept pouring out, but he didn't lift his head. His knees dug into the hard ground in an uncomfortable way and were beginning to hurt, but he refused to stand up until Mina let him.

"...How long has this been going on?" she questioned, her voice sounding different than usual. Her tone had a more serious edge to it compared to the usual carefree cadence.

"Since last Friday."

She released a breath. "So you couldn't even last a week," Mina teased, but to Kirishima's surprise, she sounded almost… relieved. Slowly, he lifted his head. She had moved to sit on the stair above him, and peered at him from her perch.

"Well, yeah. I don't even know why I said yes, to be honest," he told her, cheeks slightly flushed as he scratched the back of head. "And you seem like a nice girl, so you don't deserve being played with like that. I wanted to be honest with you even if it meant you'd hate me."

"I appreciate your honesty." She dropped her chin to rest on her hands as she smiled softly. "And I forgive you, so you can get up now 'cuz it looks like that hurts a lot. We can't have the star player injuring themselves before a big game, can we?"

Kirishima heaved a deeply relieved sigh and gave her a thankful grin. He then took her advice and got up, but only to take a seat beside her.

"Is there any way I can make this right? Or pay you back for forgiving me? I did something awful, I thought you wouldn't want to see me again."

"Life is too short to hold grudges against someone," she stated with resolve, looking straight ahead at something Kirishima couldn't see.

An idea began to form in his mind as he watched her. "Then, can I propose an idea to you?"

Mina blinked at him, then nodded.

"We could teach them a lesson. I agreed to participate, even though it wasn't right; taking advantage of a lady is the least manly thing to do-"

"Bold of you to assume I'm a lady," Mina laughed, cutting him off. Her laugh was contagious, and it made Kirishima chuckle before continuing.

"So I thought we could pretend I won you over, show them "proof", and divide the money between the two of us!" he grinned. He quickly looked over to see her reaction, worried he may be overstepping. However, she seemed to ponder his words, almost as if the idea sounded intriguing.

"And how do you plan to do that?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with interest.

"I'll figure that out later, but what do you think?"

"Look at you, horn buddy! Being all cunning. Alright, I'm in!"

His grin could've split his face. "Great!"

Kirishima stood and held out a hand to her, pulling her up. Together they descended the stairs with a skip in their step, eager to put their "plan" into action. For now, the end of their lunch period was nearing, and they couldn't arrive late if they wanted to avoid punishment.

When the pair walked into the classroom with only a few minutes to spare before the bell rang, Sero and Kaminari stared in shock. They shared a questioning look, noticing how Kirishima seemed to be talking rather cheerfully with the girl he could barely look at just that morning. Bakugou raised an eyebrow at his friends' behavior, observing the exchange between Sero and Kaminari before turning his attention to the redhead.

It was obvious how different Kirishima behaved with Mina compared to the rest of the girls. At first Bakugou had been furious with the pink haired chick; he was forced to find a new seat because of her. The whole ordeal caused unease in the class since he was very particular with where he liked to sit and never allowed anyone to change his spot. After a very heated discussion, he reluctantly ended up on the other side of Kirishima, cursing Mina. Eventually he grew used to his new seat, actually able to see the board a lot clearer than before.

Not that he'd admit it.

"Hey, porcupine head!" Bakugou yelled as soon as Kirishima took his seat. "Where the fuck were you and chewed bubblegum?"

"I needed to talk to her," he said. Bakugou just clicked his tongue, leaning his seat back while ignoring the risk of falling.

"About what?" Kaminari asked curiously, turning to them in his chair. The conversation caught his attention. Just because he wasn't participating in the bet didn't mean finding out who'd win was any less exciting.

"Uh, you know. Manly stuff," Kirishima evaded, eyes on his desk. His leg began to bounce in a quiet but jittery motion. Bakugou's eyes narrowed on the movement until he noticed Mina turn slightly, looking at Kirishima before addressing the group.

"He invited me to dinner tomorrow after the game!" Mina offered, giving the boys a big toothy grin.

"Yeah, that!" Kirishima yelped, this time sounding more sure. The bounce of his leg stopped as he glanced at Mina.

"No way!" Kaminari guffawed. "Dude, Sero is going to flip when he hears thi-"

The voice of the teacher signalling the end of lunch made Kaminari turn around in his seat to face the board. Kirishima mouthed a silent "thank you" to Mina, who in turn winked and placed a finger on her lips. Bakugou blinked at this, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. He'd probably find out what _that_ meant eventually, anyway.

Not that he cared about what was going on between them, of course.

Bakugou found repeating lessons asinine and a downright waste of his time. He couldn't understand why he had to wait for others to keep up with him; so when the teacher told those who needed help to get into pairs, Bakugou just chose to rest his head on his desk after solving the exercises by himself. He was relieved that unlike Momo, Iida, or Deku, no one was brave enough to beg for his help. Looking to the side, he noticed that Kirishima had paired off with Mina, who was staring at the sheet with confusion. Kirishima barely understood Calculous himself.

Bakugou snorted, figuring together they would either make one decently intelligent person, or a whole new type of idiot.

By the looks of it, however, they seemed to be grasping the concept of what they were doing with various "ohhh"s and "ahhh"s, their pencils scratching away at their notebooks. After a few minutes of working through the textbook, they rose from their seats, Kirishima almost in a leap like he had every intention to jump over the desk while Mina skipped from her chair looking just as excited.

"We're done!" They chanted over and over again as they walked towards the teacher, who gave them both a flat look. He took the notebooks from their hands and checked all the problems, his face growing increasingly focused as his brow furrowed.

"This is a mess," he finally announced to the two. "It's all over the place, and yet... it's all correct. Congratulations."

Kirishima and Mina lit up, high-fiving on their way back to their seats. Bakugou didn't pay attention to their conversation afterwards, only lifting his head when the teacher allowed them to leave the class and go home.

"See you tomorrow, Kirishima!"

Mina waved goodbye as she passed through the door. Kirishima nodded and waved back, but his hand soon slowed. He stared at her retreating form, surprised, as if the exchange was something he wasn't expecting.

"Don't you have practice and a game tomorrow, you fuckin' idiot?" Bakugou reminded him unkindly, about ready to kick Kirishima out of the aisle so he could pass. Kirishima's eyes widened, shocked that he'd forgotten among all the crazy stuff that happened that day. Mina was going to watch his game tomorrow! And then they had a… date? His head spun with thoughts of the bet, his friends, his tournament, and Mina.

"Oi. You're still in my way."

Shaking out of his stupor, Kirishima decided to push all his worries to the back of his mind for the moment. He threw out a thankful shout and farewell to an irritated Bakugou before rushing out of the classroom with his bag over his shoulder, running as fast as the rules allowed through the halls. The annoyed blond watched him go, wondering what exactly was up with his friend's behavior.


	3. Chapter 3

Boku no Hero Academia belongs ot Horikoshi Kohei.  
This chapter was edited by skeletordraws, so go ahead and follow them on tumblr!

* * *

"I'm home!" Mina screamed from the entrance of her house, leaving her shoes near the front door where the rest of her family's were placed. Pushing on her indoor slippers, a small girl with white hair and eyes that matched Mina's came rushing towards her, arms wide and a bright smile on her face.

"Welcome home, Mina!" the little girl greeted, leaping onto the teenager who accepted the gesture with open arms. She lifted the child from the ground and gave her a twirl. "I missed you so much!"

"Awww, I missed you too!" Mina said, tightening her hold on the girl. She put her down as she stepped into the kitchen, where a woman with bubblegum pink hair wearing an apron carefully stirred a cooking pot.

Mina approached her carefully, peeking over her shoulder to see what was cooking. Her stomach growled as the smell of yakisoba filled her nose. Her mother's yakisoba was her favorite.

She half-heartedly hoped her mom had prepared it knowing this, but she knew it was nothing but a coincidence. At least it was a good coincidence.

"Did you take your medicine, Mina?"

Mothers usually greeted their children with a simple "Welcome home" or "How did school go?" Mina, however, had gotten used to this question after she had stood firm about wanting to go to the same school as kids her age

It was nice, though. Like a constant reminder that her mother worried.

"Yes Mom, I took em," Mina assured her. "All of em."

The woman nodded. "Good." Her previously stern face then softened, her shoulders relaxing. "Now go and change, I'm serving dinner soon." Her mother used the spoon for emphasis, gesturing to the hallway. Mina nodded and carried her school bag up the stairs, careful not to trip on her way.

Her room was right next to her parents' on the second floor. She always wondered if they ever regretted it, seeing as how often she listened to electronic pop music at an ungodly volume. The thought made her smile to herself.

Opening her bedroom door, she tossed the schoolbag haphazardly and heard it land with a soft thud. Without even glancing to where it'd fallen, Mina threw herself onto the bed, exhausted.

The round purple clock on her wall, complete with a cartoon alien wearing a crown sticker on the face, read 3:40 - which meant she had to be back to school by 5 if she wanted to watch Kirishima's game from start to finish. Cursing that she didn't have time to make a huge banner with his face after all, she decided screaming at him from the front rows would have to do.

She lifted herself from the mattress with a groan, dragging herself to her bag after realizing it had fallen dangerously close to her laptop. After fishing through papers to grab her phone, she scrolled through all the notifications from the class' group chat so she wouldn't be too far behind in the discussion. She'd let the numerous notifs slide this time, since they actually seemed to contain something important instead of the usual memes and angry caps.

Most of the messages were from classmates wishing Kirishima luck in the upcoming game. It looked like he replied to every single one of them, which Mina found endearing. Smiling and humming quietly to herself, she searched for Horn Buddy on her contact list to join the well wishing bandwagon. She was slightly disappointed he was so low on the people she had recently spoken to, and made a mental note to message him more often.

"Good luck today horn buddy! Don't forget i'll be watching~ so you better score a goal for me! LOL jk

Remember having fun is all that matters! (and taking the ball from the assholes on tthe other team. That's important too)" 

Mina grinned before shoving the papers back into her backpack. However, a ding grabbed her attention before she could even finish.

A "Thank you" was sent back almost immediately, followed by a few laughing emojis.

"and thank you for wanting to come watch my game! I can't promise I'll score but I'll definitely try my best nd have lots of fun xD"

It was the last message she got before Mina heard her mother calling from downstairs. She sent a thumbs up emoji before leaving the phone on the bed, and began her descent downstairs.

The smell of yakisoba was even stronger now that it was freshly served on the table, Mina's growling stomach reminding her just how hungry she really was. She sat next to her little sister Mizuki as she looked at the plate in front of her, eyebrows furrowed, which caused Mina to giggle. She ruffled the girl's shoulder length hair as she showed her a wide smile knowing how, while she loved the dish, her sister didn't share the same enthusiasm for the meal.

Their mother sat in front of them and began to eat. Mina took a quick glance to the door, wondering if her father wouldn't be joining them for dinner again. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt whenever their dad arrived late from working overtime to earn some extra money for them. It was weird when they didn't eat together as a family.

Carefully, she took a bite of her food and let the flavor hit her taste buds before devouring it.

"I'm happy to know you still like my cooking," the older woman commented lightly. Mina blinked at her for a second before swallowing what was in her mouth. Hearing her mother's voice had reminded her of something important.

"Mom," Mina called sweetly. "Mommy, mother dearest, Momma~"

"What do you want, Mina?" The woman responded, lips quirked while raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Any time Mina asked for something, she used the same sing-song tone. To simply call her attention or coerce her into agreeing more easily, needless to say that after seventeen years, she wasn't buying it so easily.

"I was, uh, planning on going back to school later today. A friend of mine has a soccer game and I thought I could go and cheer him on," Mina told her, fork picking at a few noodles on the plate in front of her.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Mizuki asked, taking a hesitant bite from her own dinner. 

"I wish!" Mina said jokingly, grinning at her sister. "Then he would carry me into the sunset with those strong arms of his," she added, wrapping her arms around herself in exaggeration. This earned a loud giggle from the child and an accusatory glance from her mother. Mina inwardly cringed from the look.

"Like I said, he's just a friend." She aimed an innocent smile at her mother, willing her to let her go. The woman just sighed.

"I'm not sure, Mina. You should have asked for permission before, not just notify me after making plans."

"I'll be fine, Mom, I promise! I'll just be out for a few hours - and if anything happens I'll call you in a heartbeat." Mina batted her eyelashes and did her best impression of a puppy face. A moment passed, but the woman eventually sighed in defeat.

"Fine, fine. But if you don't ask me for explicit permission next time, you're not going," she stated, sternly fixing her with a look that told Mina she meant it.

"Yay!" Mina yelped, excitedly clasping her hands together and bumping her now empty plate. She frantically grappled for it before it fell off the table and caught it just in time. The pink haired adult glared at her daughter, who just mumbled a sheepish apology and attempted to hide behind the dish, her little sister laughing all the while.

Mina stared at her wardrobe, face scrunched up in determination. She had attempted to find the perfect outfit for the event, but soon realized she'd never been to a soccer game before. What did people wear to those? She didn't think sportswear was a good option since she wasn't playing, and even if it was, she had nothing of the sort in her closet.

She sighed, plopping backwards onto her bed. Kirishima hadn't even seen her last message, so that probably meant he was busy. He was usually quick to answer her texts; now she couldn't exactly ask him for advice on the matter.

Plus, he had once posted a picture wearing crocs of all things. Asking him for fashion advice would probably have the same results as asking Bakugou about manners.

Yet she still wanted to know what he'd like to see her wear. It was oddly important to her.

Slowly, her lips pulled into a grin as she thought of the only person who would be knowledgeable of Kirishima's tastes. Scrolling through her contact list, she quickly pressed the icon of a pineapple she had carefully chosen upon receiving the number.

"Dudeeeeeeeeeeeeeee," she sent over and over again until Bakugou's status changed to online.

"Stop spamming me. What the fuck do you want?"

"Always such lovely language. anyways I need your help Bakudear"

"Don't call me that"

"Well I won't if you agree to help me"

"What the fuck could you need from me?"

"Your help to pick out clothes"

"What the fuck made you think I would help you with that"

"Well, Kirishima is your friend. I thought you could help me find something to wear to the game that he'd like..."

Silence stretched on in her room as Bakugou took even longer to answer, but the tiny dots blinked back to life as if he were still writing. At least he hadn't left her on read.

"Fine, but if you tell anyone about this not only will I deny it, I'll also blow your homework up"

"yes sir!"

"Pick whatever you think might work, but do it fast cuz I have better shit to do"

Mina had to stop her sudden urge to type a quick 'No you don't', but she was pushing her luck enough as it was.

Instead, she sent him a quick picture of what she had cobbled together in the few seconds he had given her. She felt quite proud of her accomplishment; a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with an old movie reference would be enough for him.

"those jeans with that shirt? are you fucking serious? my grandma has a better sense of style than you, and she's dead"

She reread the text again and again, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her.

"Bakugou… you know about fashion?" She sent, perplexed. Her cheeks puffed out in a pout as she stared at what she had picked. It was an outfit people regularly wore, what was so bad about it?

"Of course I fucking do, my parents work in fashion design. now go pick something else before my eyesight goes to shit for looking at that trash"

Mina laughed as she scrambled through the pile of clean clothes she had carefully pulled out. This time she picked a pair of red high-waisted shorts, a blue, loose-fitting crop top with a crown embroidered on it, and a pair of black kneehigh socks. She hit send, hopeful she'd appeased the hothead.

"Now we're talking", he responded with. A wave of pride washed over her as she fist pumped the air triumphantly. "He loves the color red, but you didn't hear that from me. And tell me you're not wearing crocs or some shit with that"

"should I?" she teased.

"TRY IT AND I'LL SNATCH YOUR FEET OFF LIKE YOU WERE A FUCKING BRATZ DOLL"

Unable to contain herself, she erupted into hysteric giggles. Of course the idea of having her feet snatched wasn't exactly pleasant, but there was something about the way Bakugou's rage could translate so well over text that made her laugh.

"Okay okay, no crocs. What a shame, I had a pair ready. They had glitter and everything~

but thank you for your help Bakugou!"

The only answer she got back was a middle finger emoji and she snickered, figuring it was the only way Bakugou could say 'you're welcome'. So she sent back a wink to make him mad before dropping the phone on the bed and taking her carefully selected outfit to the bathroom for a shower.

Barely half an hour had passed when she got back into her room, but time was flying and she still had to dry her hair. Thankfully her curls were short, though it was amazing how they managed to tangle the first chance they got. Filling her hands with the detangling cream that smelled like strawberries she liked to use, Mina began to comb her fingers through the pink locks quickly. She rushed, wanting to get to the game on time to see the first match begin.

It was the first time in her life she would see a soccer game live, and her heart pumped with excitement at the idea.

The instant she was done she stuffed her cellphone inside a small purple purse and scrambled down the stairs. Waving a quick goodbye to her mom, followed by the promise of sending her a message as soon as she arrived at the school's soccer field, she threw the door open and took off.

She thanked her lucky stars the school was within walking distance. It allowed her to sleep in more than her friends she knew had to take the train every morning. Freeing her phone from her purse, she realized she barely had ten minutes to make it before the game began.

Mina breathed deeply, trying to ward off the minor weight settling in her chest. Staring at her feet as she walked, she wondered if the consequences of running would be as severe as her mother insisted they would be.

Steeling herself, she decided to try. It would probably be fine if she didn't push herself and remembered to breathe evenly, right?

Nodding to herself, she took a deep breath before speeding up to a light jog, eventually shifting into a run. Her lungs almost immediately began to burn as she ran her way to the school, but she had to be there early - she couldn't miss the team's first goal.

The exertion forced her to stop a few times as sharp twinges of pain shot through her chest every time her feet hit the pavement. Much to her dismay, the road seemed longer than she initially thought - much longer than it felt when she was just walking in the morning.

By the time she arrived at the stadium gate, the edge of her vision blurred in and out of focus, and she had to rely on her legs to slow her momentum and give her enough time to catch her breath before she entered. Her hands leaned heavily on her knees near the stadium fence as she gulped in oxygen, willing her pulse to slow.

The sound of the referee's whistle pierced through the air, telling her she had arrived just in time. She exhaled in relief before standing and proceeding forward, the pain ebbing to a dull ache.

It was emptier than she thought it would be, giving her more freedom to choose the perfect seat for the game. Nodding politely to the person she sat in front of, her eyes began to carefully scan the field for any signs of bright red hair; no sign of him running around yet.

Her brow furrowed, unable to see Kirishima until, finally, she spotted him on the bench. His leg bounced with unspent energy, looking extremely eager to get on the grass.

Mina felt her body relax, realizing her next course of action was to save every bit of her remaining energy for the moment Kirishima stepped onto the field. She'd let herself rest until then.

Watching both teams struggle to keep possession of the ball throughout the game was more exciting than she expected, and the insults the players threw amongst each other had her snorting with laughter. Now she knew why Kirishima didn't seen to bat an eye when Bakugou screamed expletives.

"Number seven!" the UA soccer coach shouted, voice resonating as far as Mina's seat. She looked just in time to see Kirishima running to the field while some kid from a grade below them switched places with him. According to the scoreboard, there were ten minutes left until halftime and the score was already one to one.

Mina stood and planted her feet firmly, sucking in air.

"Kirishimaaaa!"

Using her hands as a megaphone, she screamed at the top of her lungs. The boy seemed lost for a second as he looked around in curiosity after using his shirt to clean the sweat from his forehead. It was as if he had just been running, but she figured the sun beating down on them was the cause.

The second his eyes landed on her, she cheered. "Beat them up!"

A smile stretched across his features and he lifted his right hand to give a cheerful thumbs up back at her. The action stirred something in her chest, but she chalked it up to adrenaline.

Bringing Kirishima to the field seemed to light a match in his team and boosted morale. The roar of the small crowd as it cheered louder egged on the players, and they tried harder to defend and steal the ball from their opponents. Kirishima was fast, controlling the ball with ease and swiftly passing it to his teammates when they were open. Mina cheered the loudest each time Kirishima stole the ball. By the end of the first half, the score was two to one in favor of UA's team.

"Hey! Hey!"

Hearing someone call for her attention, Mina turned to see Kirishima rushing towards her. She leaned forward over the metal bar that separated the seats from the field with a dazzling smile, matching his.

"Thank you for coming," he said breathlessly, placing his hands on either side of hers on the divider.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Mina assured him. "Now go and rest up, I'll see you when the game ends and you've kicked their asses!"

Kirishima gave a single determined nod, then sprinted back to join up with the rest of his team. She watched his back as they convened off to the side in a circle, one of his teammates hitting him on the shoulder a few seconds later.

She plopped down into her seat and pulled out her cell phone. A new message from her mother asking how things were going greeted her, making the teenager smile affectionately.

People chattered in the background as she typed that things were going smoothly. If her mother knew she ran to the school earlier, she would jump in the car to pick her up immediately, all while chastising her about how dangerous it was for her condition. Mina decidedly left that part out. 

The game was still on break for a few more minutes, so she uploaded a selfie to her, Tsuyu, and Ochako's group chat with the soccer field in the background, letting them know what she was up to. They answered with surprised emojis and questions about how the game was going, already aware the girl was there for Kirishima.

A loud whistle from the referee had Mina sending a quick goodbye to her friends after promising she would tell them more details later. Kirishima was back on the field, patting a first year boy on the back; the poor kid was so pale Mina wouldn't be surprised if he'd seen a ghost.

With the ball hurtling across the field, both teams charged with newfound determination after getting their second wind. Mina's golden eyes focused on either the ball or the redhead; more so the latter. She was enjoying the game thoroughly, cheering on her school's team until her throat hurt.

Her volume always doubled for one player in particular, who tried to send a toothy grin her way whenever he heard her.

Eventually the last whistle blew and the game ended. In the end, Kirishima had managed to get one goal, and the final score came out 4 - 1 with UA as the victors.

Mina parted from the rest of the crowd as the celebrating slowly wound down, mixing among the players to search for Kirishima. When her eyes located his vibrant hair, she gained a cat-like grin and snuck as quietly as possible past the soccer team's curious stares.

Little did she know they had unofficially dubbed her as 'The Cute Girl Who Cheered For Kirishima', since the boy refused to give them more information than the fact she was a classmate.

"Congratulations!" she shouted, suddenly jumping onto his back and engulfing him in a hug. Kirishima lost his balance for a second before righting himself, turning to the girl grinning at him.

"Thanks! We really did do great out there," he laughed, glancing at his team with pride. "The best part is we get to go to the next round!"

His eyes caught on her vibrant red shorts as he turned back to her, and the faintest hint of pink dusted across his cheeks when he met her gaze again.

"That's amazing! I'll have to go to the next game, and the one after that, and the one after that!" she promised with enthusiasm. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, suddenly aware of how the other boys stared at them. Something about the way they whispered about Mina caused an uncomfortable feeling to settle in his chest.

"I think we can leave in a second," he said.

"Leave?" Mina asked, perplexed. She just got there to hang out with him, and she still had to call her mom to pick her up.

"Well, yeah, to eat something..." His tone was tinged with… embarrassment?

Mina's head tilted in confusion, but then a light bulb went off in her head. She had told Sero and Kaminari that he asked her out. She should've known the boy would take it seriously.

"Oh, that! I thought you knew I lied?"

"I know," Kirishima admitted sheepishly. "But your lie got me out of that situation. Plus it's the least I owe you after - you know. Being an asshole."

Mina's mouth took on an 'o' shape, but then she nodded, giving him another cute smile.

"In that case, I'll wait for you right here."

Kirishima looked around; "here" was getting lonelier and emptier by the minute, and soon there would be no one around when the stadium lights shut off. Who knew what could happen if she stood there all alone.

"It's a little sketchy… why don't you come with me? I can't take you inside the boy's dressing room, but at least the area will have better lighting," he said, tipping his head towards the locker rooms next to the bleachers. Nervous that he was being awkward, he began to walk, but made sure she was walking beside him.

"Oh my, are you asking me to break the rules with you?" she jeered, noticing even in the dim light how his ears turned red. She giggled.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that!"

"I know~"

When they arrived at the boy's changing room, they'd already seen numerous players come and go. The couple had earned plenty of looks from his teammates as they passed; one even winked at Kirishima on his way out while muttering something Mina couldn't understand entirely. She was, however, able to hear a few irritated murmurs under Kirishima's breath.

"I'll be back in a second, don't move!" he instructed.

He went inside while Mina leaned against the wall to make herself comfortable. She pulled out her phone to let her mother know the slight change in plans, who in turn didn't seem very happy about her daughter returning home late. She eventually complied after the teen sent her a slew of pleading messages one after another.

"Hi there," a masculine voice cut through her thoughts.

Mina's eyes lifted from the phone, just about to hit send on a message describing the game in excruciating detail to her friends.

"Hi!" Mina greeted back, identifying the guy's shirt as belonging to the rival team.

"What's your name, beautiful?" he continued in what she could only assume was his flirtatious tone. He wasn't too terrible to look at, with short white hair and green eyes. But the way his eyes roamed over her body left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Ashido," She stated simply, returning her attention to the small screen. "And you?"

"Well, you can call me 'babe', for starters." He smirked at her as if his attempt at wooing her was a success with that one line. Instead, Mina blanched at him momentarily before bursting into laughter. The boy stared at her in bewilderment.

"I can't believe you went with that. That's so dumb," she cackled. She tried to stop her laughter when she saw him turn red in the face, but to no avail.

"You know how rude it is to laugh in someone's face?" the boy asked, all trace of honey in his tone gone.

"I'm sorry, but even you have to admit that sounded pretty stupid," she apologized without much sincerity. Now she stood up straight to face the boy, hand on her hip. He was taller than her, but she wondered if he was taller than Kirishima.

"Whatever, bitch."

The words took Mina aback. Her eyes narrowed as she peered up into his irritated face.

"Excuse me?" Her eyebrow raised in almost a challenging manner, fist tightening on her purse strap.

"All you chicks think you're so much better than everyone else just cuz you're pretty, you…"

"Now, hold on-"

"You think the entire world will grovel at your feet and you can do whatever you want?!"

"That's not what I meant..." Mina took a careful step backwards, but immediately ran into the brick wall.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she felt his vice-like grip wrap around her wrist. Panic began to enter her system. Attempting to look for anyone to disrupt the confrontation, she realized she couldn't see around the angry teen.

"You're all the same. Here I am, being nice to you and you laugh in my face! Girls like you really should-"

"Should what?"

A wave of relief came over Mina at the sound of the voice. The two glanced over to see Kirishima standing there, just a few feet away, now wearing a red flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. Her pulse thrummed as he stepped closer.

"None of your business," the other teen snarled. Kirishima took another step forward, appearing to be a few inches taller than the white-haired boy. His red eyes fixed him with a piercing stare.

"It is my business. Now let her go. She doesn't seem to be comfortable with you around, and neither am I, so I suggest you leave."

The other boy clicked his tongue as they sized each other up.

Seconds passed in tense silence before the boy roughly freed Mina's hand, mumbling a 'whatever' before turning his back on the duo and stalking away. Before he'd even turned, Kirishima had already moved to stand between him and Mina.

When the stranger was gone, the redhead whipped around on her, eyes filled with concern. 

"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he? I'm really sorry I didn't come out sooner," he rambled, holding her arms to see if there was any injury on them.

"No, I'm all good! Thank you for helping me."

At the guilt still present on his face, her cheeks flushed. Something told her he'd be beating himself up over this for a while. The sentiment was flattering, but she didn't want their night to be ruined over some rude guy.

Knowing this, she patted his hand still on her arm in comfort before trying to brighten the atmosphere. "Wanna head out? I'm starving, and I've got a curfew."

He sighed, but gave her a small smile.

They crossed the school's field just as the sun was setting, the silence prominent between the two as he kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. When they reached the parking lot, he pulled up next to a red car that looked as if it had been taken right out of an old 90's movie. Beaming with pride, he opened the passenger door for her.

"This is my son, I bought him myself!" he told her, closing the door when she took a seat.

"Really?" Mina asked, scoping out the interior with wide eyes. She giggled after noticing the traces of fast food in it. Once he took his place behind the wheel, he snatched the few wrappers and threw them in the back seat with a nervous laugh.

"Sorry for the mess. Shall we go?"

She nodded, and he put the key in the ignition. The car didn't sound like it'd be starting anytime soon, letting out an awful groan instead. Smiling sheepishly, Kirishima tried two more times until it roared to life, earning more laughter from Mina.

"And we're off!" she announced as they pulled away.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Despite Mina's pleas, Kirishima refused to reveal where he was planning to take her. She even joked about him kidnapping her, but alas, he kept his lips sealed. It didn't help that she still was unfamiliar with the city, making the streets he took unknown to her.

Before she knew it, after winding roads and plenty of side streets, the car came to a halt in front of a lively looking building.

"A diner?" Mina questioned, studying the place in front of them. A bright set of red letters shone "BMI Dinner" over their heads on a large sign. A few more cars were parked around Kirishima's, but the restaurant didn't seem to be filled with many people.

"Yeah," Kirishima chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry I can't take you to a fancier restaurant. I'll try harder next time!"

Her heart skipped at the implication of his words.

"No, it's perfect! It's not like I'm dressed fancy, and I'm not exactly in the mood to eat a piece of meat the size of my eyeball at the price of my kidney," she joked as he opened the door for her, an amused grin on his face.

It was a simple restaurant inside; most of the chairs had either yellow or orange seats, but it was mostly just like the diners on TV. Kirishima seemed to be familiar with the place, too. It didn't take long for them to find a seat next to a window where they could see the moon just beginning to appear in the sky.

"Kirishima! It's so good to see you here! And with a girl nonetheless," a very tall man bellowed, approaching their table before Mina could make any attempt at conversation. He had a fluffy head of blond hair atop a friendly face, a huge smile taking up most of it. He patted Kirishima on the back as soon as he got near. "How did that game go?"

"We won!" Kirishima said excitedly. "Fatgum, this is Mina. Mina, Fatgum!"

The man's grin got even wider, if that were possible. "Ahhh, so you're the famous Mina Kirishima couldn't stop thinking about," Fatgum teased, though his expression was genuine. An embarrassed Kirishima dropped his head to the table, causing the man to let out a hearty laugh. "Pleasure to meet you, girly!"

"You too, sir!" she answered, glancing at Kirishima whose ears still burned red from Fat's words.

"Please, call me Fatgum. Sir makes it sound like I'm old." He couldn't be older than late twenties, Mina thought. "I'll bring you two a piece of cake to celebrate your victory, Kirishima! I'll go so you two can pick something, alright?"

Kirishima lifted his head from the table, mumbling something under his breath - which Fatgum responded to with a chuckle and another pat on the shoulder. They watched the man's back as he left and walked into what looked like the kitchen.

"Do you know him?" Mina asked, and Kirishima nodded.

"Whenever I'm not in soccer practice I work here," he admitted. "Fatgum is really cool and he lets me do my homework when we're not too busy."

"How long have you been working here?"

Two glasses of water appeared on their table. Mina mumbled a soft thank you to Fat, who politely nodded and disappeared.

"Since I was in my first year. I needed a job and Tamaki helped me out," Kirishima replied, taking a drink from his glass.

"Tamaki?"

"He's in college right now, but he comes and works in the kitchen from time to time. If you want a recommendation, his fried chicken is to die for," he whispered the last part, leaning closer as if it was a secret.

They stayed like that for a few moments, foreheads inches apart.

A bang from the kitchen made them jump in their seats, leaning away to distract themselves with their drinks.

"Tamaki you won't believe this! The girl Kirishima told us about-" Fatgum's voice resonated through the tiny window that lead to the back, reaching Mina's ears. Someone interrupted the blond man, a few seconds of quiet murmurs following his outburst.

"Whatever, she's really cute! No wonder he likes her."

Kirishima choked on his mouthful of water, which caused Mina to giggle. He swiftly stood up, banging his knee in his haste, and quickly made his way to the kitchen. Mina chewed on her straw as she watched him go; she could see his flushed face from here, and it was obvious how he avoided eye contact with her.

Taking a sip of her water, she pondered on what could possibly be going on behind the bar. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the clangs of frying pans falling and the unmistakable sound of weeping could be heard, then silence. Not a moment later Kirishima strode back to the table, Fatgum on his heels brandishing a sheepish smile as he rubbed his arm.

"Ready to order, Mina?" Fat asked, pulling out a small notebook. Kirishima grinned at her burying her nose in the menu after getting distracted earlier.

"I think I'll get a regular burger with fries. And a chocolate shake, please!"

Fatgum winked good-naturedly before turning to Kirishima. "Anything other than the usual?"

"Yeah, just add an order of fried chicken."

Fatgum hummed as he wrote down their choices, promising the orders would be ready in a few minutes. Once the blond was back in the kitchen and the doors had stopped swinging, Mina leaned her cheek into her palm.

"What happened in the kitchen?"

Kirishima's expression was unreadable as he looked to the table nervously. Then, chuckling, he shrugged. "Nothing important."

Her response was to raise an eyebrow, but didn't pursue it. A different subject, then.

"Why do you call him Fatgum?"

This time Kirishima's lips quirked up naturally.

"Well his real name is Taishiro Toyomitsu, but everyone calls him Fatgum because of his weird metabolism."

"Weird?"

"He's thin right now, right? Last week he was fat, a month ago he had muscles, and a month before that he was chubby."

"No way! You're lying," she whispered, staring at Fatgum as he served another table.

"I was shocked when I started working here! He was chubby one day and super thin the next. I thought he was dying! Then he explained what was going on to me, so now it's just normal."

Mina's laugh resounded throughout Kirishima's head like a song. 

"Thanks for bringing me here," she said quietly, looking around with an appreciation that spread farther than just the decor. "I don't get to go out very often… so this is nice."

He stared at her for a beat before "But you're so pretty!" came tumbling out of Kirishima's mouth, not able to catch his in time as a blush quickly rose to both of their cheeks. He lowered his volume and attempted to save himself, using his hands to gesture vaguely. "Uh, it's just, I thought boys asked you out all the time."

"Thanks," she chuckled, "But not really. Some guys have asked, but I don't like going out with someone unless they're a friend or I'm actually interested in them."

Before Kirishima could find out which one he fell under, Fatgum arrived with their orders and carefully placed them on the table, effectively halting their conversation.

At the sight of the food, drool practically fell from Mina's mouth. The portion in front of her was huge compared to what she anticipated, not to mention the enormous milkshake and extra order of fried chicken.

"Have a nice dinner!" Fatgum waved before leaving the two teenagers alone once again.

Mina grabbed the hamburger with both hands, admiring its size before comparing it to the mountain that was Kirishima's. If he was able to finish that, she'd be thoroughly impressed. Biting into the burger, her eyes widened instantly.

"Oh my god, this is delicious!" she exclaimed around her mouthful.

"Yep!" Kirishima nodded. "Tamaki's really good at this!" 

Mina told Kirishima to thank Tamaki for her the next time he came to work, to which Kirishima agreed, telling her the cook would be happy to hear it.

Conversation passed easily between them with questions about her old home life, and what she thought of the city now that she'd been living there for a while. Along the way they'd discovered they had similar taste in movies and TV shows, gushing over the most recent Star Wars movie and its characters.

Just like Kirishima promised, the fried chicken was nothing short of delicious, and their plates were left empty by the end of the night. Despite thinking they couldn't eat another bite, Fatgum had arrived with two pieces of chocolate cake that the teenagers wolfed down. The only tense part of the night came when it was time to pay; Kirishima refused to let her pay and Mina wouldn't allow him to pay for everything. They finally agreed to each pay half.

Waving a quick goodbye to the upbeat owner after Kirishima promised to return the next day, they thanked Fat for everything and left the establishment.

Mina checked her cellphone, reading the time. A little past ten. She had to be home soon.

A rush of cold wind sent a chill over Mina's body as Kirishima held the door open for her. She hugged herself to brace against it, inwardly cursing that she didn't bring a jacket.

"Here."

His flannel was thrown over her shoulders lightly, enveloping her smaller frame. The cold immediately seemed to dissipate, and a comfortable warmth took its place in her cheeks.

"Thank you," she murmured, the scent of cologne and rain from the cloth hitting her senses. It was, surprisingly, somehow familiar.

Before she could get too caught up in his smell, he opened the car door for her to climb inside.

The drive was quiet, the silence only broken when he asked her to repeat her home address. The road was relatively smooth, and the muffled sounds of the engine and radio lulled the teenage girl into a daze. Kirishima watched her teeter on the edge of consciousness from the corner of his eye, lamenting the fact that he'd have to wake her up.

In the end, they arrived much sooner than he realized, with Mina already passed out in the passenger seat gripping tightly to the shirt draped over her. The thought of just staying there and letting her sleep passed through his mind, but he quickly waved it away. She had to go home before curfew.

Even as his mind resolved to wake her, he couldn't help but stare for a couple seconds. She was so pretty then, her long eyelashes even more pronounced against her cheeks, chest slowly rising with each breath.

There was something odd about seeing her so uncharacteristically still, but the way the moonlight danced upon her features left him awe struck.

He shook himself out of it. "Mina," he whispered, prodding her shoulder slightly.

Her dark eyelashes fluttered a couple of times as she stirred awake, parting to reveal golden irises. She looked at him questioningly.

"We're here."

She stared at him, her mind shaking off the fog in her brain, before her eyes widened. She bolted up in her seat.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, you must have been really tired," he shrugged with a soft smile. Watching as he opened her door, she exited the car slowly with the help of his sturdy hand. They walked side by side to her front door.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." She spun on her heel to face him. "Thank you for this. I'll make sure to tell Sero and Kaminari how amazing it was."

Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, you don't have to tell them anything… I really liked hanging out with you."

They shared a smile as the boy put his finger on the doorbell, the flannel still across her shoulders.

Suddenly, a woman opened the door with speed, her gaze immediately falling onto Kirishima. The look she gave him was withering at best, scrutinizing him up and down from the door frame. Guessing by the hair, he figured she was Mina's mother.

As Mina leapt across the threshold inside, she waved a friendly but quick goodbye to him. The older woman continued to stare him down incredulously, giving Kirishima the feeling that she'd be checking his criminal record soon. The intensity sent a chill down his spine.

"Thank you for bringing her back. Goodnight."

The resounding thud of the door closing in his face before he got to respond punctuated her words. He stood there for a few shocked seconds before turning back to his car, regretting he didn't have the chance to introduce himself.

With the memory of pink hair and warm laughter on his mind, he finally headed home.


	4. Chapter 4

First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking this long to make an update. I hope all of you like this chapter.

Like most students around the world, Kirishima woke up Monday morning dreading the idea of going to school

His reasons went beyond just having to memorize a list of topics for whatever exams might appear in the upcoming months, though. No, he despised the thought of his friends questioning him over how things had gone with Mina the Friday before. He'd successfully managed to avoid their messages by hiding his online status and not opening their texts, but knew as soon as Monday arrived he would have to face them.

Pulling himself out of bed, he stared at his phone screen. A message from Kaminari waited for him, once again insisting on knowing details. He ignored it again. Instead he dressed, grabbing the school's uniform next to the Crimson Riot poster on the wall. Already aware that his mother had left for work, he exited the house after taking the money she left on the table for him every morning.

The moment he stepped in the classroom, Kaminari's head perked up from the game console in his hands with a playful grin spread across his face. His eyes fixed on Kirishima, who awkwardly smiled back.

"Kirishima! My man!" Sero's voice appeared suddenly as he draped an arm across the spooked boy's shoulders. "I need to know every single detail about your date with Mina."

The redhead fought the urge to correct him. _It wasn't a date,_ he thought to himself. Said event was nothing but the result of Mina trying to pull him out of the ditch he'd dug himself into. But they had to keep up appearances in order to follow through with their plan. He couldn't slip here.

"Why?" Kirishima simply extricated himself from his friend's grip, taking his seat. He offhandedly noticed Bakugou texting someone from the desk over.

"Well, as your fellow contender, it's my duty to know how the competition is going. You know, to make sure I can get the upper hand and win the money," Sero shrugged.

"And because it's the closest we've ever seen you to dating a girl, and quite frankly I'm surprised you even managed to ask her out," Kaminari quickly followed up with, snickering.

Kirishima wished he could just sink into his desk until his friends let the topic die, which normally didn't take too long. Brushing off the questions, he silently pulled his stuff out while trying to remember if there was any homework he didn't do. Usually he relied on Bakugou if he forgot, who would lend it to him even if it was followed by a long stream of expletives. Fortunately, he actually finished everything this time.

"Why won't you just tell us what happened?!"

It was barely 7:45 AM and having two of his best friends circle him like vultures while the other just stared blankly at his phone - completely ignoring the banter going on - was making him regret arriving early. Staying after school to make up for possible tardies for the rest of the week seemed like a tempting idea.

"Because nothing happened," Kirishima repeated for the tenth time to the looks of utter disbelief from his friends.

"I call bullshit." Sero studied him with a frown. "She turned you down, didn't she?" he added with a satisfactory smile.

"What? No!" Kirishima wanted to disappear into the floor. "Why do you assume something happened?"

"Well for starters, Mina told us you asked her out." Kaminari pointed a finger gun at him. Kirishima prayed Jirou would appear at any second; his blond friend was always more subdued whenever she was around.

"And my cousin at the soccer game told me, and I quote, 'a pink haired girl was cheering for Kirishima the entire game!' So you can't tell me you didn't see her that day after school." This time it was Sero's turn, only solidifying Kirishima's wish to be swallowed by the earth.

"Why isn't Mineta arguing with you two?" A desperate attempt to take the attention off of him.

"He withdrew after being direct with his goal for getting with Mina."

This information had Kirishima turning to where the short boy sat, subconsciously scowling at him. Bakugou raised an eyebrow at the reaction from the side, but didn't say anything.

"He had a bruise the entire week, you never noticed?" Kaminari asked. Apparently he hadn't even paid attention to their perverted classmate's (well deserved) injury. Kirishima just shrugged.

He was surprised the attempt to change the topic worked perfectly, because Kaminari and Sero seemed too eager to start talking about an American TV show instead of his life. Sliding down in his seat, he pulled out his cellphone to stare at the screen; just two minutes until classes began, and there was no trace of Mina. The redhead frowned for a second before returning the phone to his pocket.

"Do you know why Mina hasn't arrived?" a voice asked, and he looked up. Jirou was standing in front of his desk, schoolbag hanging from her shoulder. "We were supposed to give a presentation today, and she hasn't seen my messages."

Kirishima stared at her for a second. "What makes you think I know?" There was no trace of hostility in his tone - just curiosity.

"Oh, you don't?" Her voice sounded genuinely surprised. "Since you two are together most of the time I figured she'd let you know if anything happened. I guess I'll keep trying to contact her then," she shrugged, walking to her seat.

The teacher walked in seconds after Kaminari approached Jirou, and the blond left a quick peck on her cheek. Kirishima had to stifle a laugh when the girl blushed and tried to push him away to escape any further embarrassment.

Avoiding the teacher's piercing gaze, Kirishima took his phone back out and sent a quick text to Mina, asking if she was okay.

Her answer came back almost instantaneously, saying she had just woken up.

" _So are you coming later today?"_

" _Yeap! I'll tell Jirou that I'll make it in time before our presentation, I just have a doctor appointment"_

" _Why are you going to the doctor? Are you okay? Need me to grab you something?"_ Kirishima typed quickly as his anxiety grew.

" _I'll be fine, just a mandatory visit lol relax"_

"Kirishima Eijirou. I know that phone must be way more interesting than my class, but if you don't put it away right now I'll take it."

The warning caught the teenager off guard and he nodded, fumbling to put the device back in his pocket and pay attention to the lesson.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Mina swung her legs back and forth in the doctor's office. Despite having been in plenty of consultation rooms in her life, this was only her third time in this one. That was the only thing stopping her from walking around and playing with the model of a heart on the man's desk. He was already familiar with her excessive amount of energy, though.

"So everything's alright?" Mina's mother questioned, concern in her voice tangible. Eight years had passed without anything major happening, and Mina could _still_ feel the woman trembling the same as every other time they went to a doctor.

"Yes, Mrs. Ashido. As of now you have nothing to worry about; Mina's heart is currently stable. I can only assume she's been taking her medication…"

"Every day, every pill - I make sure she takes all of them," the woman interrupted.

"I just wish they'd give 'em some sort of flavor! When they don't taste boring they taste so bad my throat aches."

Mina's comment earned her a smile from the doctor. He was a kind man already well past his fifties, with wrinkles around his eyes and black hair already fading to gray. His stethoscope sat on the table, rather than around his neck, and he intertwined his fingers while shifting his attention to her.

"How are things at your new school going, Mina?"

The teenager perked up with a huge grin on her face, eyes shining with enthusiasm. "They're amazing! The teacher is kinda grumpy, and he's sleepy most of the time - I think I saw him throw an eraser at a student once - but he's great and my classmates are _so_ friendly!" The doctor nodded along as she rattled off.

He closed Mina's file. "Well, then I don't have anything to add. Just follow all the usual recommendations, and remember not to-"

"'Fatigue yourself or do any kind of strenuous exercise that could be detrimental to your health'," Mina finished. "I have it memorized by now," she stuck her tongue out in jest. The doctor chuckled and nodded.

After a quick goodbye from the woman and her daughter, they were on their way. There was no need for conversation between them, so they both waved to the doctor's receptionist as they left, though Mina's was more cheerful. Their silence followed them until reaching the car, and the older woman sighed as Mina hummed a popular tune, pulling her headphones out of her schoolbag.

"Are you sure you want to go to school?" She eyed her daughter from the side while starting the car. The concern Mina was so used to rang out loud and clear in the enclosed space, along with the unspoken question; " _Are you sure you want to keep going to school?"_

"Of course I do! I even have a group project on my USB, and me and my teammate could fail if I don't show up."

"You mean the girl that you brought home? It was… Jirou, I think," she mumbled, beginning the drive across town.

"Yep, that's the one!"

"I honestly like her better than that redhead boy that brought you back the other day."

"Kirishima?" Mina furrowed her eyebrows slightly. The comment irked her a bit. "He's a really nice guy. You don't even know him that well, how can you tell what kind of person he is?"

Her mother didn't answer, and honestly Mina didn't expect one.

With that quick exchange, the conversation died - just in time for them to finally pull up in front of the school. Mina swiftly exited the vehicle, mother's note in hand in case any of the teachers hadn't received notice of her absence.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

If there was anything Kirishima could be thankful for by the time lunch break began, it was that Kaminari and Sero had apparently given up on asking him about Mina and decided to focus on something they deemed more productive; Sero trying to prank Bakugou, and Kaminari flirting with his girlfriend. He could see the blond resting his head on his arms atop Jirou's desk, the girl sporting a visible blush on her cheeks.

Their lunch break had about thirty minutes left after he ate, so when seventeen minutes had gone by and there was no sign of neither Mina nor a text, he grew concerned. Not even one of her signature pictures of a movie wishing him good luck for having to withstand the endless lectures ahead of him came. His legs began bouncing nervously, checking his phone every few seconds to make sure there wasn't an update.

"Your queen has arrived!" Mina's voice sounded like sweet music to his ears. His head snapped up as she announced her arrival in a way only she could.

The teenager walked towards her desk, smiling at her classmates who looked at her in confusion for her late arrival. Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero all watched her. Kirishima could practically hear the internal debate between Kaminari and Sero to see who would be the one to ask the question that they've pestered him with the entire day.

He didn't have to wait long.

Kaminari was the first one to take the leap of faith, grabbing a seat in front of Mina - who was still rummaging through her stuff absentmindedly, humming some tune familiar to the redhead. "So, how was your date with Kirishima?"

"Why would you need to know?" she quipped back. She seemed to find what she was looking for and took the USB with a small crown on it out of her bag, sighing in relief.

"Oh, you know, just curious. I _am_ the closest friend he has who's actually _in_ a relationship; I thought I could give him some advice based on what you tell me."

Mina's raised eyebrow upon hearing Kaminari's words made Kirishima feel guilty that she was going to be pestered as well, and since they didn't get the answers they wanted from him, they'd probably try harder with her.

"Then you should know I had an amazing time," Mina affirmed with a smile. Kirishima perked up at the words, a faint pink rushing to his cheeks, but then subtly shook his head to dispel the warmth. His involuntary reaction caught his attention more than he would probably want to admit. She was covering for him, like always. No need to get flustered.

"Hanging with him was a lot of fun, and he introduced me to a lot of people too! Not to mention the food wasn't like anything I've eaten before!" With a cheshire grin she leaned forward, gesturing Kaminari to lower himself so she could whisper in his ear.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Kaminari nodded. Kirishima couldn't hear what she told the blond, but Kaminari pulled back to gape at her with wide eyes. She bursted into loud laughter.

"Are you serious?" he inquired.

"Of course not! You can't be sure of something like that in two weeks of knowing someone. But that should teach you to mind your own business," she giggled. In response, the blond's face flushed, completely caught off guard.

Jirou then approached the pair and thanked Mina for arriving just in time. Kaminari stood to retreat, but not before giving his girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, cheekily earning a scolding for taking her by surprise. Sitting on Bakugou's desk - who had disappeared for the entirety of break - Sero waited until Kaminari regrouped with them.

"So, what'd she say?" the dark haired teen asked with enthusiasm. Sighing, Kaminari looked at him with drawn eyebrows. Kirishima listened attentively.

"She said she had a good time, but…" he dramatically paused, then pointed to Sero who grinned with confidence. "I'd say you still have a chance."

Kirishima's insides recoiled, a feeling he failed to recognize settling in the pit of his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

"Man, I'm telling you, winning this will be easy! They don't suspect anything. We got this!"

Mina sprawled across her bed - phone still connected to the charger in the wall as she refused to let the device to rest - with a wide grin covering her face. She grabbed a nearby blouse and threw it to the dirty laundry basket, not paying attention to the garment flying past its target.

The response from the person on the other end of the call made her roll her eyes, but her smile didn't falter.

"Hey, I'm serious!" she chuckled. "You know what? We should go to Fatgum's again.

"'Why?' Cuz I'm in dire need of good, delicious, life-changing food!

"I mean, I could go visit you there while you're working, chat with Fatgum for a while and see if I can get free food.

"What do you mean? Of course visiting a wild Kirishima at work is the main priority, but a girl has to feed herself. I have a figure to maintain, y'know?"

Kirishima's following words made her face turn a bright shade of pink.

"You shouldn't say things like that," she mumbled, burying her face into a pillow. "Why not? Well, you just shouldn't. That's why."

"Still... You have to be careful when you say those things. You never know what they mean to-"

"Mina, mom is calling you for dinner," cut her off as her little sister opened the door, peaking in curiously until she saw the teenager on the phone. "Oh, I'll tell her you're calling your boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Mina yelled, giving the redhead a quick goodbye before pursuing the young girl with hurried steps.

The child giggled. Her sister's obstinate denial of a relationship with the redhead was amusing, and like any child, she was naturally curious. She was eager to meet the boy her sister spoke so much of. Hopefully she'd invite him over soon.

It didn't take long for the girls to take their seats at the table, delighted to have dinner alongside their entire family. On the rare occasions when Mina's father arrived in time for dinner, everyone seemed to enjoy the food much more. Her mother put extra effort into preparing it, and was more relaxed than when it was just the three of them.

Her father was already at the table, patiently waiting for everyone to be seated before eating - ever the doting parent. His hair was beginning to gray and he had bags under his eyes, but there seemed to be no trace of exhaustion on his face for the few moments he got to spend with his family. For that, Mina was grateful.

Mina's mother was the last to sit, taking the seat on her husband's right while Mina took the left. At first the dinner proceeded in silence. The sound of chopsticks clicking against dishes filled the room, but it was pleasant. No one seemed to have any questions or anything eventful to recount at the moment.

"Mina was talking to her boyfriend on the phone."

The words left her younger sister's lips with no warning, causing Mina to nearly choke. She coughed before chasing the food with water, feeling the gazes of both her mother and father focus on her.

"You have a boyfriend?" Her father teased, tone lighthearted.

"Mina, what did I tell you about engaging with that boy?" her mother spoke sternly, a sharp contrast to her husband. Mina had always thought it would be the other way around.

"For the hundredth time, Kirishima is not my boyfriend! He's just a friend from school," Mina sighed, hitting her sister on the back of the head. She can't imagine the scolding she'd get if her mother found out about the fake dating bet. "And Mom, I already told you I don't understand what you have against him! He's a good guy!"

"Now, now," the older man said, calling for their attention as he brought a piece of food to his lips nonchalantly. "It's probably just motherly instinct." He smiled at the two women and tried to reason with them. "Nothing wrong with having a boyfriend, though. Just be careful. I'm not here as often as I'd like, so be on time for curfews. And remember, you're too young to be a mother. But you can get him to buy you stuff, so take him for all the money he's worth!"

"Hibiki!" his wife scolded. Mina couldn't help but laugh while her little sister seemed somewhat confused.

"Look, sweetheart. Mina might be young, but it's never too early to start squeezing money out of idiotic men."

"Has any woman squeezed the money out of you, dad?" Mizuki asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"I am proud to say I currently have three beautiful, wonderful ladies squeezing every cent out of me!" He smiled fondly. "Now, Mina, tell me about this Kizuki friend you have."

"Kirishima, Dad," Mina corrected. The man made a vague hand gesture, inviting her to continue while letting her know his name held no significance to him. "Well, he's in the soccer team. He's really kind, and nice to everyone - he welcomed the first day I arrived which was nice - his hair is red and pointy, and he has these two little horns poking out! Well, they're not horns, but they look like if they were. He's not the smartest in the class, but he always tries really hard and explains to me what he _does_ understand - he's also a super loyal friend and he spends his time calling things manly and tries to stand up for what he considers right - Oh, and he also…" she rambled, but could suddenly feel the eyes of her family staring at her. Her sister with curiosity, her mother with disdain, and her father with a smile she couldn't quite decipher. Her cheeks flushed pink and she ducked her eyes to stare at her plate. She faintly heard her mother say something about all men being good at first; she chose to ignore it.

"It sounds like you have good things to say about Kiyoshi," her father nodded, then turned to Mizuki to ask her how she'd been. Mina heard the kid mumble something about her class having a field trip to a museum soon. She felt guilty for not paying closer attention to her sister, but she couldn't help but focus on the unfamiliar pounding in her chest that made her feel like she got caught doing something forbidden.

Mina had a strict policy of only saying nice things about her friends; with Kirishima though, it felt different. Even if she wanted to say something bad about him it was almost like her body physically stopped her from doing so.

After eating, the family moved to the living room, engaged in conversation. Mina's mother wished to return to teaching now that Mina was more stable than the past. Both the girls took interest in their dad's work. By now the man was used to the questions they asked - mostly what the weirdest thing he had seen at the lab was. He still answered them with every ounce of patience he had, more than delighted they took an interest in his work.

Feigning fatigue, Mina left the living room while her sister slept on their mother's lap. The moment she stepped into her bedroom she unplugged her phone, but could only answer a few texts. She was surprised by how tired she was considering it was barely ten thirty. Slowly, her eyes closed with the phone still in her hands, halfway through writing a text.

The door sat slightly ajar and Hibiki Ashido couldn't help but peak in, sighing as he saw his daughter peacefully sleeping while sprawled across the bed with her phone threatening to fall from her hand to the floor. The man opened the door and took the phone from her and placed it on the bedside table so it wouldn't accidentally end on the floor with a crack.

He could still vividly remember all the times Mina was hospitalized, and how he and his wife had to take turns to make sure she was sleeping without any complications arising. His wife insisted that it was necessary, even after she was released. It became normal for him to check on the teenager as soon as he arrived home or before going to bed.

Hibiki closed the door behind him as he dragged his feet to his bedroom where his wife was already tucked into bed reading a book. Going by the cover, he could guess it was probably some sort of mystery story. He unbuttoned his shirt and changed his pants before getting into bed, trying to find the proper phrasing for the question that had been in the back of his mind the entire evening.

"Honey," Hibiki began, testing the waters. She hummed in response, and he was at least certain she wasn't in a bad mood. "Why don't you like this boy Mina mentioned at dinner? What's his name again... Kishirou? Kiyoshi?"

He noticed how his wife tensed and held the book tightly between her fingers.

"I don't like how close he's getting to our daughter." Her answer was simple and stern. He'd seen the same look many years ago. It meant she wouldn't bulge.

"Isn't it nice? That she has friends her own age without fearing she won't see them the next morning? You know how hard it was for her to say goodbye to Kendou, and she still misses her a lot," Hibiki tried to reason.

"Shouldn't you be the one opposing him? He's a boy after our daughter." The woman raised an eyebrow, which he shrugged at.

"I'm not the overprotective kind. Plus, I don't know if he actually is after our daughter. Don't misunderstand, I'd be glad to melt his face if he hurts her. But as long as she's happy, then... how could I stop that?"

"You should be more cautious of him. We never know how her condition might react to this whole teenage nonsense."

He was well aware of his daughter's condition. He was the one to get the first scare when his wife was visiting family; the memory was too ingrained into him to forget. But he still didn't want his own fears to put a stop to Mina's happiness. Hibiki knew his wife wanted to keep their daughter safe. Even if he didn't agree with her methods, he still tried to understand her.

"And will you take that away from her? Her right to happiness in whatever amount of time she might have?"

"If it keeps her alive, I will."

"We both know that's not the life Mina wants to live, Masami." The man's voice was set with resolve. Masami scoffed. "If anyone deserves happiness, it's our daughter."

She closed the book with a snap. "If that boy harms Mina in any way, I won't ever forgive him."

With that, she turned her back toward her husband to put an end to the conversation. He sighed, then leaned over and turned off the lamp.


End file.
